Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-19
Neal Dow on the Republican Party.

In his recent speech at Brooklyn. Neal
Dow said of the republican party:
There was no more loyal republican than
l when that party in the old time inscrib>
ed on its banner Free soil, free speech,
free labor and free man What is its motto
now2 If honestly expressed would it
not be. Up with the grog-shOps; down
with the peopleY That is fearful thing
to say if not true" Mr.. Dow then re-
ferred to the Raster reso luton in the ma,
tiOnal republican platform of 1872 the
utteraRce of the Cincinnati Commercials
Gazette that the republican party is not 3
prohibition party; to the words of Gov
ernor Foraker. who declared the taxation
or license of the liquor traffic to be an
eternal principle; to the T'ribuReS sup
port of FOraker's assertion; to the late
Saratoga platform and Senator Evarts
Splitting on the bait to catch temper
ance republicans. and, finally, to the re-
fusal for many wears of the republican
legislatures of Maine, made republican
by our votes" to effectually amend the
prohibtory law, so often asked by the
temperance people as proofs that the
republican bosses have thoroughly com
mItted the party to the protection
of the liquor traffic. Dir. Dow read from
the platforms of the Maine republicans
1873, 1879, 1880 and 1882 to show how
the party had declared over and over IN
favor of prohibition, yet that party de
liberately trampled under foot the ap-
10 nf h.. lot
TO make effective the prohibitory law.
The party by its platform is thoroughly
committed to the principle of prohibition,
yet the republican bosses have placed il
in the position where it is AS much the
slave of the grog shops as Tammany hall
in New York. ProhiblIionists are en-
tirely justified in the establishment Of a
new party to protect themselves from the
tremendous mischief of the liquor traffic
A friend of mine, Mr.. J W. Bashford, a
prohibitionist of Name was not long ago
riding with Mr. Blaine, and he said to
that gentlemen. Can the republican par
ty win without the rum votef No,
frankly confessed Mr.. Blaine. The re-
publican party finds itself in the position
where it cant win without cheating
somebody. Which side will it cheat2
Not the liquor man; he is too
sharp" Here Mr.. Dow quoted the ques-
tons which the liquor men at Cincinnati
sent out to political candidates demand,
ing TO know their position on the prOhis
bition question as proving that the traffic
does not blindly support any party, but
knows what ii is about. I'VE trusted
the republican party In Maine. but it
didn't keep its promises. And when |
went to the leaders after supporting them
on their promise to give US what We
asked. they said to me, You didn't keep
your part of the bargain What part?
Why, 1900 of you voted the third,party
ticket l replied: These men who
voted the third party ticket said you
would cheat us, and | think they knew
better than ! did The democrats de-
clare boldly and openly for the liquor
traffic. The republicans don't like to, but
they go for it meanly and sneakingly.
The party is thoroughly committed by
license and tax to the establishment of
the grog-shops by law. There can be no
mistake now. Any one who does not
believe it would want proof at midday
with clear sky, that the sun was shin
ing"